


A Reluctant Hero

by not_today (708234)



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Akuma Attack, Angst, Bee Miraculous, Character Death, F/M, Fox Miraculous, Gabriel Agreste is an Asshole, Grief/Mourning, Hurt, I'm Sorry, Identity Reveal, Miraculous Team, One Shot, Poor Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Poor Nino Lahiffe, Sad Ending, Secret Identity, Turtle Miraculous
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-24
Updated: 2020-03-24
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:09:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23301433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/708234/pseuds/not_today
Summary: Nino Lahiffe never wanted to be a hero.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste & Chloé Bourgeois & Alya Césaire & Marinette Dupain-Cheng & Nino Lahiffe, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe
Comments: 6
Kudos: 92





	A Reluctant Hero

Nino Lahiffe never wanted to be a hero.

When Ladybug had offered him the Turtle Miraculous, he had been shocked. It wasn’t at all what he was expecting. But he had accepted it, because he would do  _ anything  _ to protect his girlfriend. Even if it meant becoming a superhero. He hid his fears, and followed Ladybug’s directions. It had all worked out in the end, and he’d thought that was the end of it. Months later, when he was offered the miraculous again to fight on Heroes’ Day, he accepted it again because it meant he could fight beside Alya. And then he had given it back, saying goodbye to Wayzz and celebrating the victory with Alya, trying to ignore the nightmares that plagued him for nights, all of them featuring the hateful Alya from the battle.

Two years later, Ladybug had approached him, her face grave, and asked him to become a permanent part of the team. He had initially refused, explaining that he wasn’t the right man for the job.

_ “I’m flattered, Ladybug, really. But I’m no hero.” _

_ Ladybug sighed, sounding dangerously weary. “Trust me Nino, you are. You’re the most caring person I know. You faced a supervillain to save your girlfriend, and you’re always there for your friends.” _

_ Nino had been touched at her words, but still skeptical. “Okay, so maybe I can be a superhero every once and awhile. But permanently?” _

_ The girl sighed again and stared at him with eyes that looked too old for her body, as if they had experienced far more than anyone her age should. “Look Nino, I’d normally never do this. But the akuma’s are getting worse.” Nino had noticed that. Hawk Moth was sending several a week, sometimes multiple a day. Alya had given him many concerned speeches about how tired and overworked the heroes looked lately. _

_ “Chat and I can’t do it alone anymore,” she continued. “We need other heroes, for the safety of Paris. And we’d be better off with people who have some experience. Please, Nino,” she pleaded, blue eyes wide. And who was Nino to refuse such a heartfelt request? _

And so he had joined the team, along with Rena Rogue and Queen Bee. They were a good team, learning each other’s strengths and weaknesses and defeating akuma after akuma. Things certainly weren’t easy. The addition of more superheroes had clearly angered Hawk Moth, who quickly began sending out akumas with more vigor. Nino lost many nights of sleep, and earned several new bruises. But Alya brought him coffee every morning after a hard battle, offering him a small smile, and he knew it would be okay.

Then, nearly six months after they had started fighting together, their timers ran out and their identities were all revealed to each other. The adjusting period took weeks, and during that time the team was sloppy and awkward. But eventually, Adrien and Marinette had finally gotten together, and the Miraculous Squad (as the news channels had dubbed them) was stronger than ever. Now that Nino knew everyone’s identities, he could see why they were chosen. There was Marinette, who could be timid, but was also strong-willed and quick-thinking. And Adrien, the poor boy who truly needed the escape from home and never failed to support his lady. Alya quickly became the “mom-friend” of the group, bringing snacks on long patrols and checking over everybody’s injuries after a tough battle. And then there was Chloe, the girl who just needed a second chance to show that she had a heart of gold. Nino still wasn’t sure why he was picked to fight alongside these amazing people, but he kept his doubts to himself.

For a while, they felt invincible. They were praised across Paris for their teamwork, and the way they swiftly took care of the akumas. And so they started getting comfortable. Too comfortable. They’d race each other across buildings during patrols and make contests out of who could determine the akumatized objects first. They had picnics on rooftops, laughing late into the night. A few people tried to criticize them for not taking the job seriously. But Nino never brought this up. Because he knew that under the masks and the spandex, the five of them were just kids. Kids who still deserved a childhood. Kids who needed to laugh and live. Sitting on a roof with your four best friends, it was easy to forget the grave task you’d been given, and to let the danger of your job melt away. But they were still fighting villains. And as much as they pretended, they weren’t immortal.

Nino would remember the day for the rest of his life. November 3rd, the day everything changed. It had started out like any other battle. But instead of shooting perfume or freezing victims, this akuma had knives. It had happened so fast. One moment, Nino was shielding Ladybug and Chat Noir as they planned. And the next, Chloe was crumpled on the ground and Alya was screaming. Nino had run over frantically, grasping the hand of the girl he had surprisingly bonded with.

_ “Chloe, Chloe, c’mon talk to me!” _

_ “Ugh. Nino, it hurts.” _

_ “I know, I know. Alya, call an ambulance! You’re going to be fine!” _

_ He glanced backwards to find Marinette and Adrien furiously fighting the villain. It was fine. It was going to be okay. Ladybug’s Miraculous Cure would fix everything. _

_ But, as they wouldn’t realize until later, the Cure couldn’t fix death. Chloe squeezed Nino’s hand as the other heros finally defeated the akuma. _

_ “Thank you,” she said softly, voice rough with pain. “Thank you for helping me change. For letting me do something good.” And then she was gone. Nino had watched the light disappear from her eyes, and he was sure a part of his heart had gone with it. _

Everything had changed after that. The four of them had attended the funeral, and Paris had mourned for a couple weeks. After that, the city seemed to forget about Queen Bee. They started celebrating their heroes again, and moved on. But the heroes could never forget. Patrol races and picnics became intense training. They were all exhausted, but nobody had the heart to tell Marinette she was overworking them. They huddled together at school, trying to ignore Chloe’s empty seat. They were all quiet, more subdued.

Adrien was the next to go.

He had been, unsurprisingly, trying to protect Ladybug from shrapnel flying off a building. Nino had watched, horror filling his chest, as the sharp metal thudded into his best friend’s chest. He’d watched as Ladybug ran to her kitty’s side, grasping his hands tightly and murmuring sweet words. He’d watched as Rena phoned an ambulance, for the second time in four months, and Adrien’s costume had slowly faded away. Plaag had hovered over his charge worriedly, and Nino had been shocked to see tears in the kwami’s eyes. And then, the akuma had suddenly frozen and been de-akumatized, as if Hawk Moth had let him go. But Nino hadn’t focused on the civilian now standing confused on the street, not when his best friend was bleeding out in Marinette’s arms.

After Adrien’s death, Marinette barely talked. Nino knew she blamed herself, but he didn’t know what to say. He may have been Adrien’s best friend, but Ladybug had always been Chat Noir’s. They’d had a special bond that nobody could deny, and now it had been ripped apart. Adrien’s dad had retreated into his mansion after a private funeral, and nobody heard from him for months. Meanwhile, the akumas had mysteriously stopped. Nino didn’t know why Hawk Moth had suddenly decided to give them a break, but he wasn’t complaining. He didn’t think they’d be able to handle an attack right now. Perhaps Hawk Moth had finally realized that he was  _ killing teenagers. _

For a while there, he’d thought they would be okay. They certainly weren’t back to normal, but Marinette was starting to smile a little more. Nearly half a year passed before there was a sighting of another akuma. It had taken Nino and Alya completely by surprise. Marinette freaked out, curling into a ball in her room and muttering about  _ Adrien  _ and  _ akumas _ and how it was  _ all her fault.  _ Tikki and Nino had immediately rushed to comfort her.

_ “Hey, hey, Nette look at me. You can do this.” _

_ “No! Nino, you don’t get it! It’s ALL MY FAULT!” _

_ Nino had turned to look for Alya, irritated that she wasn’t helping, when he realized that the other side of the room was empty. Alya was gone. _

_ He frantically reached for the remote, turning on the TV and flipping to the news channel. And sure enough, there she was, fighting the akuma all by herself as Rena Rogue. As he watched, the akuma let out a yell and charged, grabbing Rena by the neck. Her eyes had flashed with fear, and then the terror was replaced with the determination Nino loved so much. She looked straight at the camera and uttered four words. Nino couldn’t hear her, but he could read her lips well enough. _

_ “I love you Nino.” And then her neck was snapped with a sickening crack, and the akuma dropped her to the ground. _

_ “Wait, what?” Marinette said suddenly, but Nino wasn’t listening. _

_ “No, no, no,” he muttered as he called to Wayzz before transforming and jumping out the window. He was so close. He could make it. _

_ There. He spotted his girlfriend's battered, broken body on the ground and he dropped down beside her, scooping her into his arms. _

_ “Alya please,” he babbled. “Please don’t leave me, I need you!” _

_ But her body was cold, her pulse gone. He was too late. _

_ “NO!” he had cried, barely noticing Ladybug swing past to take care of the akuma. The tears were hot as they traced paths down his face. _

And then it was just the two of them. Alya's death had filled Marinette with even more determination, and they began taking akuma down faster than ever. They were a surprisingly good team, but all the fun had been sucked out of the job. Nino was starting to get more and more worried about Marinette, however. She was living on concerning amounts of caffeine, she only ever talked to him, and he knew she wasn't sleeping at night. Not that he could blame her, considering that he wasn't getting much sleep either. It was easier to avoid the nightmares if you never closed your eyes.

Deep down, Nino knew the arrangement wouldn't work forever. The two of them might work well together, but it wasn't enough. One of them was going to be next. Nino couldn't tell which one of them he wanted it to be. He didn't want to watch his last friend die, but the thought of leaving Ladybug alone was just as unbearable. 

Of course, it wasn't his decision to make. The universe was the one to make that choice. It was late on a Thursday, and they had just defeated the sixth akuma of the week. 

_ Nino was tired, but he still forced himself to go comfort the victim while Ladybug purified the akuma. This one had been difficult, some architectural akuma that had damaged the structure of many of the city's buildings. They were standing in one such building at the moment, and Nino was eager to get out to safety. He led the man he had been comforting out of the unstable building before turning around to wait for Ladybug. She was just about to cast the Miraculous Cure when, to Nino's horror, the entire building shook. _

_ "Get out of there!" he shouted. But it was too late. Marinette looked at him, a panicked expression on her face, as the entire building crashed down on her. _

_ "LADYBUG!" he yelled as his heart stopped. No. He would not lose the only person he had left. _

_ Nino leapt towards the building, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him. He whipped around angrily, but was met with calm eyes and a sad smile. _

_ "I know kid, I'm sorry. But you can't save her. It's too late. You'll just end up hurting yourself. " _

_ "No, you don't understand!" he yelled back. "It's my job to protect her!" _

_ The man just shook his head sadly, and Nino stumbled backwards. He had failed. He had failed to protect Marinette, just as he had failed to protect Chloe, Adrien and Alya. _

_ An hour later, when the dust had settled, he dove into the rubble. It took him another hour, but he finally found Marinette's tiny, crushed body, Tikki laying dejectedly on her chest. _

_ "I'm so sorry," Nino gasped, eyes filled to the brim with tears.Tikki opened her eyes before flying over to him. _

_ "I think she was my favorite," the kwami said quietly, settling on his shoulder. _

_ The reporters on every news channel speculated about what this meant for Paris. Ladybug hadn't performed the Cure, so large parts of the city were still in ruins. Parisians everywhere were panicking, but all Nino could think about was that he was alone. _

Carapace ran a hand over the smooth metal of the memorial. It was a statue of the four fallen heroes, balancing on top of each other and beaming at him. He smiled back sadly. It had been two weeks since the last akuma, since Ladybug's death. Nino knew Hawk Moth was just biding his time. It wouldn't be long before the supervillain sent another akuma to destroy him.

It didn't matter. Nino had hid the Miraculous Box far away, somewhere Hawk Moth would never find it. He hoped that one day, it would be found by new superheroes. But Nino had a job to do. He knew he wouldn't survive the next battle. He had no Queen Bee to immobilize the enemy, no Rena Rogue to cause a distraction. There was no Chat Noir to help destroy the akumatized object, no Ladybug to purify the akuma and clean up the city.

There was only Carapace, and his job was to protect. It didn't matter that his four best friends were gone. There were still people to fight for. His little brother, Chris. His parents. His classmates and teachers. And all of Paris.

Carapace heard a distant scream followed by a crash. He took a deep breath.  _ It was time. _ He spared one last look at the four smiling faces of the memorial.

"I'll see you guys soon." He pulled out his shield and started running towards the akuma.

Nino Lahiffe never wanted to be a hero, but that didn't mean he wouldn't fight for those he loved.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't really know where this fic came from. I guess I just felt like writing angst, and this was born. Leave kudos or a comment to let me know what you think!


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